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Witnesses;

NPETERS, FHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. D'C.

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IMPROVEMENT IN LADDERS.

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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, F. W. HOVEY, of Boston, in the county of- Suffolk, and State of Massachusetts, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Ladders; and I do'hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact deseriptionthereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a longitudinal central section of my improved ladder, and showing, in red lines, the position of the parts, when the vertical distance between the points connected by the ladder has been lessened.

Figure 2 is a front view ofthe lower part of the ladder, the middle part of the connecting-bar beiilg broken away. r I

Figure 3 is a longitudinal central section of a ladder, illustrating a modification of my improvement.

Figure 4 is a detail sectional view of the lowerpart of a ladder, illustrating a modification of my improvement.

Figure 5 is a detail view of the slot ted connection-bar.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

My invention has for its object to furnish an improved ladder'for use in situations where the inclination of the ladder may be varying constantly, or may be varied occasionally. And it consists in pivoting the steps of a ladder to its sides, and in combining with said pivoted steps the parts by means of which they are operated and.

regulated.

Figs. 1 and 2 represent a ladder, theupper end of which is designed to be pivoted in a fixed position, and its lower end to rest upon a floor, platform, or raft, the vertical distance between the supports for its two ends varying either occasionally or constantly. I A are the sides of the ladder, the upper ends of which are pivoted to or hooked upon a support at the place for ascending to or descending from which the ladder is to be used. To the lower ends of the sides A of the ladder are pivoted whecls,.B, upon which the ladder rests, and which roll along the floor, platform, or raft that supports them, as the distance between the supports for the upper and lower ends of said ladder varies. O are the steps of the ladder, the ends of which arepivoted tothe sides A. .These pivoting points may be pins attached to theends of the steps, and working in the holes or sockets formed in the sides, A, of the ladder; or they may be the ends of the ordinary rounds of a ladder, to which the steps C may be permanently or removably attached, as shown in the drawings. The pivoting pins or points may be at or nearthe forward edge of the steps C, the rear edges of which are pivoted to the rod or bar" D, by projecting ars, 0, as shown in figs. 1 and 2 To the lower end of the bar D is pivoted a wheel, B, which rests upon the floor, platform, or raft upon which'the lower end of the ladder stands, but its uppercnd is unsupported, except by being pivoted to the rear edges of the steps 0. By this-construction, however much the inclination of the ladder may change, the steps 0 will always be in a horizontal position, as shown in fig. 1. The steps 0 may be romovably attached to the rounds of the ladder, by having hooks, c, or their equivalent, attached tothe under side of the said steps, which said hooks pass around the rounds of the ladder, and are kept from displacement by pins, as shown in fig. 3. The pins by which the rear edges of the steps are pivoted to the bar D, are also removable, so that any number or all the steps C may be removed when desired. The ladder represented in fig. 3 is for use where the vertical distance between the upper and lower supports does not vary, and the position of the steps requires to be shifted only as the inclination of the ladder is changed. In this case, the wheels 13 are not required, and the bar D is supported and its position shifted by means of the notched arm E, the notches of which fit upon one of the lower rounds of the ladder, or upon some other support prepared for their reception. The upper end of the arm E may be pivoted to the lower cndof the bar D, or at the rear edge of one of the steps C, as may be desired or convenient; or the upper end of the said arm, F, may be pivoted to a down wardly projecting part or angle of the car, a, if desired. This improvement is especially designed for attachment to ship ladders, to boat and bath-house ladders, 860., but it is equally attachable to step and all other kinds of ladders. The notched bar or connecting-rod, E, may be replaced by a slotted bar or red, F, the upper end of which is pivoted to the bar D, ear 2, or step C, in the manner hcreinbefore described. The lower part of the bar or rod F is slottedand passes over around of the ladder, or over some other suitable support prepared for it, as shown in figs l, and it is held in place by a U-sha'ped pin,j, passing through holes in the bar F, in such a 2 eo si way that one arm of said pin may be on each sideof the ronnd of the ladder, or other support, to which the said bar is attached. Numerous holes are made through the bar F for the reeeption of the pin f, so that the position of the ste is C may be adjusted at pleashre'. This eonstractionl prefer, asit holds the steps 0 from movenient in either direction. I V

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new, and desire to secure by LettersPatent-Y I. The combination of the bar and pivoted steps C, wheels B, and sides A of the ladder with each other, substantially as herein shown and described.

2.- The combination. of the notched arm with the steirs G and bar I) of the ladder, substantially as herein shown and described.

i 3. The-combination of the bar D and the remoyable pivoted steps C .with the rounds and sides ofthe lame}, substantially as herein shown and described. I

4., The combination of the slotted bar]? and pin. with the bar D and steps 0 of the ladder, substantially as herein shown and described.

. F. W. HOVEY.

Witnesses.

' J. O.-W1LKINsoN,

H. G. PARKER. 

